Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

It’s officially the holiday season. It can be a stressful – or at least hectic – time of year, so it’s important to start each day with some healthy fuel. Cue these delicious and seasonally-appropriate breakfast muffins. Make a batch on Sunday and have a quick, easy, grab-and-go breakfast all ready for the week ahead. This recipe is packed with health-boosting whole grains (spelt flour and rolled oats), which, in addition to the almond flour, nuts and seeds, give you a well-rounded, plant-based protein boost. They are also low in sugar and oil-free. But perhaps the real beauty of this recipe – or at least part of the fun – is that you can get creative with your stir-ins. In the photos I’ve chosen chopped dates for their natural sweetness, hemp seeds for protein, and pecans and walnuts for their flavor to complement the pumpkin and spices, but you could just as easily stir in some raisins, dried cranberries, chopped apples, or even some chocolate chips. Choose your own muffin adventure!

Ingredients

For the muffin batter:

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup plain, unsweetened almond milk

1 T. apple cider vinegar

1 T. ground flax or chia seed

3 T. water

1½ cups spelt flour (whole wheat or all-purpose would also be fine)

½ cup almond flour

½ tsp. sea salt

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

¼ cup sucanat or whole cane sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

¼ tsp. cardamom

Pinch of cloves

Pinch of ground ginger

¾ cup pumpkin puree

3 T. coconut milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Up to 1 cup of stir-ins, such as chopped dates, chopped walnuts, pecans and hemp seeds

For the topping:

¼ cup of rolled oats, pulsed a few times in the Magic Bullet or food processor

1 T. maple sugar or whole cane sugar

1 T. coconut milk or coconut oil

Instructions

If you’re using dates, remove the pits and chop them into small pieces. In a bowl, sprinkle the pieces with a little bit of flour, and toss them with your fingers, so that they are lightly coated and no longer stick together.

If you’re stirring in nuts, chop them into small pieces and set them aside, as well. Walnuts and pecans are highly recommended.

Prepare the topping in a small bowl. Use a fork to whisk together the ¼ cup of slightly-blended rolled oats, 1 T. of maple sugar or whole cane sugar (I think even maple syrup would work) and the 1 T. of coconut milk (if you’re going oil-free) or coconut oil. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF and drop parchment liners into each well of a regular (12-count) muffin tin.